MORRIS COUNTY — Long-time Morris County Housing Authority employee Kelly A. Stephens was recently selected as Executive Director of the agency, which creates and maintains affordable living environments and provides other assistance for more than 1,000 residents in the county.

Stephens is a 23-year veteran of the Morris County Housing Authority. She began at the agency in 1996 as a social services coordinator and moved through positions as an administrator, director of operations and deputy director.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitative services, a certificate in gerontology and is a certified public housing manager.

Stephens succeeds Roberta Strater, who retired in December as Executive Director after 42 years of service with the Housing Authority.

“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of a highly respected director, Roberta Strater,’’ said Stephens. “Throughout the years, working with Roberta, I have been fortunate to affect the lives of many of our residents as well as the community.

“Our staff at the Housing Authority works collaboratively as a team to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to low income senior citizens, families and people with disabilities in Morris County.  We intend to continue with that important mission.’’

The Housing Authority was created by the Morris County Board of Freeholders in 1972 to develop and manage housing for low-and moderate-income residents of the county.

Its current mission is to “enhance the lives of the citizens of the county by creating and sustaining decent, safe and affordable living environments that foster stability and self-sufficiency for seniors, families and people with disabilities with low to moderate incomes.”

In carrying out this mission, the Housing Authority provides leadership, maximizes resources, and promotes partnerships to develop and implement sound housing policy.

The Housing Authority is overseen by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It utilizes its $10 million dollar annual budget to provide safe and decent housing and other assistance for approximately 1,050 county residents.

The Housing Authority owns and manages seven housing complexes, including 423 units of public housing and Section 8/515 housing and congregate housing. It also manages the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program.

For more information click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — Donald Dinsmore and William Felegi have teamed up with the former Mayor of Pequannock Township, Cathy Winterfield to form a ticket to win three seats on the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Dinsmore, a Harding resident and Attorney declared back in December of 2018 his intention to run for a seat on the Freeholder Board.  Since then he teamed up with Will Felegi, a veteran of the National Guard who achieved the rank of sergeant as a tanker. He is currently a Middle School teacher who is also the Former Chair of both the Morris County Young Republicans and Jefferson Republican Club.  Most recently the duo announced their formation of a complete ticket aligning themselves with former Mayor and Councilwoman of Pequannock, Cathy Winterfield who is a Financial Administrator at Seton Hall University.

“I am thrilled to be running with Cathy and Will and proud to be using the slogan as ‘The Future of Morris’ because that is what we represent.  We are running to bring open government and a greater focus on affordability to the Board.”, says Don Dinsmore.

Will Felegi had this to say, “Morris County is a great place to live. With a rapidly changing economy and targeted attacks by people that want to turn our state into a Sanctuary county, we need smart, resourceful and talented minds that will bring a new sense of urgency and collaboration to the Board. Don, Cathy and I will be the open, honest and resourceful voices on the Freeholder Board.”

“Public service is an honor that I take seriously and with gratitude. I am excited to bring my intellect and vision to the whole county and to represent our part of the county that has been underrepresented on the Freeholder Board for decades. With my commitment to historical preservation and student development, I feel that our team is best suited to serve the needs of Morris County residents for years to come”, said Cathy Winterfield.

You can learn more about the team of Dinsmore, Felegi and Winterfield by clicking here.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority is announcing an important 2019 change in its plastic container recycling rules for its single stream curbside recycling program.

Starting this month, only plastic containers (bottles and non-bottle) coded 1, 2, and 5 are acceptable in residential curbside recycling.

Look for the recycling symbol on the bottom of the plastic container, advised Morris County’s Recycling Coordinator Liz Sweedy.

The MCMUA’s guidelines apply to the following 20 municipalities, which have MUA curbside pickup: Boonton, Boonton Township, Hanover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Chester Borough, Denville, Mine Hill, Morris Plains, Netcong, Pequannock, Rockaway Borough, Wharton, and the recycling depots in Harding, Mt. Arlington, Randolph, Rockaway Township, and Washington Township. ***

Acceptable plastic bottle/containers include the following:

• Containers that are coded #1 (PET, Poly-EthyleneTerephthalate) include water, soda and salad dressing bottles, microwavable food trays, and peanut butter container.

• Containers coded #2 (HDPE, High Density Polyethylene) include milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and butter and yogurt tubs.

• Containers coded #5 (PP, Polypropylene) include ketchup and syrup bottles, and some yogurt containers.

Due to restrictions imposed by China on imported recycling commodities, the MCMUA’s market has been negatively impacted, and some plastic containers are no longer accepted in the curbside program.

Unacceptable plastic bottles/containers include the following:
• Plastics with no container code (no number in a recycling symbol);
• Plastics coded #3 (V, PVC Vinyl), which include cooking oil and mouthwash bottles, clear food packaging, and PVC piping;
• Plastics coded #4 (LDPE, Low Density Polyethylene) used in plastic shopping bags and trash bags;
• Plastics coded #6 (PS Polystyrene) used in disposable cups, plates, egg cartons, and clamshell take-out containers;
• Plastics coded #7 (Other) used in three-to-five gallon water jugs and some food containers.

“Plastic bottles and containers that are coded with the numbers 3,4,6,and 7 are not mandated recyclable materials in the Morris County Solid Waste Management Plan and are not acceptable in the MCMUA’s single-stream recycling program,’’ said Sweedy.

Morris County’s mandated recycling materials are plastic bottles and containers coded 1 and 2 (and containers coded #5 are being accepted), plus aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, steel (tin) cans, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, and organics that include leaves, grass clippings, brush, logs, stumps, branches and tree parts.

The MCMUA also requests that residents make sure their recyclable items are empty, clean and dry before putting them at the curb in reusable containers (loose, and not in plastic bags). There is only one exception for use of plastic bags: shredded paper can be placed inside of translucent plastic bags.

When plastic grocery bags and other flexible plastic film gets to the recycling center, they can be caught in the machinery and cause delays and increased processing costs. Clean, dry plastic bags can be recycled at local stores that have designated drop-off bins for plastic bags.

For additional information about acceptable and unacceptable materials in the MCMUA’s “all-in-one’’ single-stream curbside recycling program, visit www.mcmua.com or visit your municipal website.

For additional information, click here.

*** Residents in the county’s other 19 towns, which do not employ the MCMUA for single- stream pickups, should check their municipal website for recycling guidelines.

MORRIS COUNTY — The County College of Morris Board of Trustees, along with the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, regional and state officials, industry leaders, students and faculty, marked the groundbreaking today for a state-of-the art Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center.

Some 200 100 people gathered at CCM to celebrate the plans for the $11 million center designed to address employment needs and growing industry demands.

Funding for the center is being provided by the State of New Jersey, Morris County and private donations.

The 31,500-square-foot facility is expected to open spring 2020.

Developed with the input of industry leaders, the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center will feature the latest technology and equipment to prepare the workforce of the future, provide current employees with cutting-edge training and offer faculty, students and industry the opportunity to work collaboratively on solutions and new developments.

The center is being constructed on property the college owns near 675 Route 10, which houses the Public Safety and Information Systems departments.

“This new facility, like all of our buildings, is more than a structure. It is a resource for the community. As such, it is intended to support regional manufacturers by providing an innovative and inspiring learning environment where today’s students become tomorrow’s engineers,” said CCM President Anthony J. Iacono.

“It will allow CCM to expand upon its work of producing a pipeline of skilled workers. And, equally important, it provides a home-base for all regional manufacturers who seek to ensure that their current employees have the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge training so their companies can remain industry leaders.”

“This facility will fully prepare our students for new and good-paying jobs,” added Morris County Freeholder Director Douglas Cabana. “It also is a response to the workforce demands of county and regional employers in addressing the need for skilled workers, with the most up-to-date training.”

Also included in the program were Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco; Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce; New Jersey Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development Robert Asaro-Angelo, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Higher Education Diana Gonzalez, Morris County Chamber of Commerce President Meghan Hunscher, Glenbrook Technologies CEO Gil Zweig, and CCM Electronics Engineering Technology Major and former Glenbrook Technologies intern Cindy Rampersad.

Manufacturing and engineering are vital parts of the Morris County economy, but meeting the need for skilled employees is challenging as those industries continue to grow and new demands develop. The center is designed to address a multitude of needs within the manufacturing and engineering sectors.

The facility will feature two electronics labs, two prototyping labs, two computer labs, a 3D printing room, an analysis lab, an automation and controls/robotics/emerging technologies lab, a measuring and materials testing lab, a welding lab, maker space, conference rooms, classrooms and offices. Serving as architect for the project is USA Architects of Somerville.

Currently, CCM offers associate degrees in Electronics Engineering Technology, Engineering Science and Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Through its Division of Workforce Development, the college also provides an extensive offering of skills training in such areas as Auto CAD, Program Management, Shop Math and Measurement, Six Sigma, Supply Chain Management and more.

Construction of the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center will free up space in the college’s current engineering and manufacturing lab, which will allow for the construction of The Paragano Family Foundation Healthcare Simulation Center. Through the CCM Foundation’s “Forward” Campaign, the Paragano Family Foundation provided a leadership gift to support that initiative. Along with development of the simulation center, CCM will be expanding its healthcare programs.

For more information on the college’s Manufacturing and Engineering programs click here. For information on its Workforce Development programs click here.